Perfect Every Step of Your Makeup Routine With These Versatile Brushes (2025)

Even the best makeup routine can't produce the glorious results you're expecting without proper, high-quality tools. And who better to ask about the best makeup brushes on the market than professional makeup artists who've spent their entire careers working most closely with an extensive lineup of the best brushes for the face, eyes, lips, and cheekbones?

With that in mind, we've gathered some of the pros' decidedly classic, time-tested picks along with Allure Best of Beauty Award winners at a variety of price points—including affordable picks from Real Techniques and E.L.F. and high-end options from the likes of Hourglass, Chanel, and Patrick Ta. Whether you're a seasoned makeup pro or a beginner, this guide is the perfect place to start if you're hoping to curate your very own makeup brush set and perfect your makeup looks.

Consider these 15 brushes of all shapes and sizes—soft and fluffy, domed, densely packed, tapered, angled, and precise—to be your essentials when it comes to flawless makeup application and seamless buffing of your products. It's that easy.

Our Top Picks

• Best for Foundation: Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush, $47
• Best for Concealer: Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Concealer Brush, $18
• Best for Blush: Chanel Blush Brush N°110, $50
• Best for Bronzer: Sephora Collection Pro Bronzer Brush #88, $36
• Best for Contour: Patrick Ta Precision Dual Ended Sculpting Brush, $45
• Best Sponge: Beautyblender Original Makeup Sponge, $20
• Best Multitasking: MAC 159 Duo Fibre Blush Brush, $42
• Best Dual-Ended: IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7, $50

Frequently Asked Questions

• Meet the experts
• How we test and review products
• Our staff and testers

Best for Foundation: Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush

Why it's worth it: No matter which liquid or cream foundation you're currently using, the Best of Beauty-winning Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush is guaranteed to create a seamless, airbrush-like finish. This ultra-soft face brush has fluffy bristles made of synthetic fibers that blend like a dream for an even, cake-free finish. "I used to be loyal to my Beautyblender (still love it!) but this has quickly become my go-to," says commerce editor Sarah Han.

Editor's tip: While sweeping it across skin helps blend foundation seamlessly into skin, using it to stipple product into skin increases the coverage.

More brushes we love:
- Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush, $46
This 2023 Best of Beauty winner has a genius teardrop shape and elliptical bristles that buff away streaks around the nose, jaw, and hairline with ease.

Best for Concealer: Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Concealer Brush

Why it's worth it: "You should never use your finger to apply concealer under your eyes [because] it gets floppy and cakey," makeup artist Nick Barose warns. "A tiny synthetic brush lets you cover just what needs to be covered with accuracy and care," says Stiles. Rare Beauty's Liquid Touch Concealer Brush has an angled edge that can reach tough nooks and crannies, and uses synthetic, densely packed bristles for a plush feel that's still firm enough to build coverage.

Editor's tip: With its angled shape and bouncy feel, this brush is designed to mimic the shape of the fingertip for extra precision and better blending.

More brushes we love:
- Laura Mercier Camouflage Powder Brush, $30
This flat, oval-shaped brush is akin to the size of your ring finger and great for blending cream formulas, despite its name.

Best for Blush: Chanel Blush Brush N°110

Why it's worth it: Los Angeles-based makeup artist Daphne Chantell del Rosario tells us that her go-to blush brush is Chanel's Blush Brush N°110, which she considers "the perfect shape for the apples of your cheeks." This fluffy wonder is ideal for powder blush and cream blush formulas for a flushed-from-within look.

Editor's tip: The tapering on either side of the brush allows it to get into the contours around the cheeks.

More brushes we love:
- Jones Road Blush Brush, $34
"Somewhere north of 40, I traded powder blushes for creams in recent years because they started looking cakey, but this brush leaves such a natural finish, it's brought me back to my favorite palettes," says executive beauty director Jenny Bailly of the 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner.

Best for Bronzer: Sephora Collection Pro Bronzer Brush #88

Why it's worth it: Designed for cream bronzers, the Sephora Collection Pro Bronzer Brush #88 has soft, short, synthetic bristles that make it easy to buff cream formulas into skin without lines or streakiness. The tapered handle gives it a comfortable feel in the hand, and while it's billed for bronzing, it works well for blush and foundation, too.

Editor's tip: If you love powder-based bronzers, try the brand's Pro Bronzer Brush #80 for a fluffier (but no less seamless) application.

More brushes we love:
- BareMinerals Supreme Finisher Brush, $36
This Best of Beauty Award-winning brush is equipped with softer, less dense bristles that define your face without any blotchiness or muddiness — and leave behind a natural-looking glow.

Best for Contour: Patrick Ta Precision Dual Ended Sculpting Brush

Why it's worth it: Sculpt your cheekbones to utter perfection with the Allure Best of Beauty Award-winning Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Dual-Ended Sculpting Brush, which won the honor in 2021, 2022, and 2023. It's designed with fan-like, synthetic bristles that create a soft, diffused look sans harsh or obvious lines. "I stamp it on the end of my cheekbones at the hairline and slide it down to the sides of my chin," Patrick Ta previously recommended. Consider it your go-to tool for any and all powder and cream formulas.

Editor's tip: It's best paired with the brand's complementary Major Sculpt Creme Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo, another Best of Beauty Award winner.

Best Makeup Sponge: Beautyblender Original Makeup Sponge

Why it's worth it: Sure, Beautyblender's Original Makeup Sponge technically isn't a traditional brush, but it's one of the best makeup applicators on the market—so much so that it's a multi-Best of Beauty winner. This latex-free makeup sponge can be used wet or dry to blend a multitude of beauty products, including cream blushes, liquid foundation, and more of your favorite base products. It's basically the Swiss army knife of makeup applicators that leaves your full face looking flawless every time you use it.

Editor's tip: Launched back in 2007, this sponge was the first to be hydrophilic, meaning it's designed to absorb water—preventing it from “eating” your makeup products.

Best Multitasking: MAC 159 Duo Fibre Blush Brush

Why it's worth it: Most people think blush, highlighter, and contour have to be applied with respective brushes. The reality? That's not the case. With one versatile brush in hand, you can use it for all three (and then some). "This is my go-to brush for every cream product in my kit," says makeup artist Fiona Stiles. "The different lengths of the hairs make blending seamless and easy." Though Stiles uses this brush for creams, you'll find that it and others like it are just as effective for powder application when used with a light hand.

Editor's tip: It gets its versatility from its paddle shape, which allows it to lay down powder while the fluffy bristles along the center are ideal for creams.

More brushes we love:
- Nars Yachiyo Kabuki Brush, $40
"It's big enough for all-over powdering but small enough for creating a healthy glow with blush," makeup artist Georgina Graham says.

Best Dual-Ended: IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7

Why it's worth it Dual-ended brushes are particularly clutch for travel-friendly beauty kits—because why let your brushes take up precious space in your already-stuffed luggage? Tobi Henney is a fan of IT Cosmetics' Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7, which is equipped with super-soft bristles that "make [foundation and concealer] application a total breeze," she notes.

Editor's tip: The large, fluffy brush on one end has exactly double the number of bristles on the other.

Best for Powder: Real Techniques Setting Brush

Why it's worth it: Makeup artist Susie Sobol reaches for the Real Techniques Setting Brush for more precise application of loose powder, especially for smaller areas of the face like under the eyes and around the nose. "I actually never use a big powder brush, since it takes shine away from where I like to keep it," she explains. (It's also proof that good options abound at the drugstore, too.)

Stiles agrees with using a smaller brush for setting powder. "You can't control your coverage if the brush is too big and fluffy," she says. "[With a small brush], you can be very precise with where and how you apply powder, which will make the skin look more like skin."

Editor's tip: To keep your brush clean—and your makeup fresh—give it a weekly wash with the brand's dedicated brush cleaner.

More brushes we love:
- Saie The Fluffy Brush, $26
"I can get super-close to the corners of my undereyes without causing creasing or buildup," says associate special projects manager Talia Gutierrez of the 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner.

Best for Highlighter: Sigma Beauty F03 High Cheekbone Highlighter Brush

Why it's worth it: Makeup artist Carissa Ferreri uses Sigma Beauty's Best of Beauty-winning F03 High Cheekbone Highlighter Brush for two main purposes. As its name suggests, it works wonderfully as highlighter, but she also uses it for "contouring the hollows of the cheek and around the perimeter of the face," she explains. “The bristles are both fluffy but firm, making it ideal to deposit color and blend.”

Editor's tip: It's small enough that you can also use it to blend concealer, so long as you're okay with light coverage.

Best for Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #12

Why it's worth it: The spoolie side of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #12 tames even the coarsest, unruliest brow hairs to help slick them down into defined arches. The angled brush found on the other end of this Best of Beauty Award winner deposits pigment with ease to fill in sparse areas.

Editor's tip: Sure, it's considered a brow brush, but if you dampen it first, you can use it as an eyeliner brush, too. (You can also use the spoolie end to experiment with your mascara application, too—just saying.)

More brushes we love:
- Real Techniques Brow Styling Set, $11
For all of your brow fixings, this 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner is the set to end all sets. It comes with a mini toothbrush for fluffing, a slanted nib for defining, a pair of spoolies for taming, and a tiny spatula for lifting—and all for under $12? Sign us up.

Best for Blending Eye Shadow: MAC 217 Synthetic Blending Brush

Why it's worth it: For hooded eyelids, makeup artist Min Min Ma recommends a fluffy brush like MAC's 217 Synthetic Blending Brush, which she says "gives a smooth, seamless blending job." But, as she notes, the brush is still quite slim and small, so it fits perfectly within the defined creases of hooded eyelids.

Editor's tip: If you don't have hooded eyes, you might want to use a more tapered brush for the crease, like the MAC 286S Synthetic Duo Fibre Tapered Brush.

Best for Smudging Eye Shadow: Half Magic Pyramid Eyeshadow Brush

Why it's worth it: The brainchild of Donni Davy, the lead makeup artist on Euphoria, comes this unique brush, which took home a 2023 Best of Beauty Award for its tapered bristles and pyramid design, which provide just the right amount of blending without sacrificing control. "It's the perfect brush for a control freak like me," says senior news editor Nicola Dall'Asen. The tapered shape also makes it a dream for getting into the crease of the eye.

Editor's tip: Because it comes to a point, you can use it to create a winged eye shadow look — no pencil needed.

Best Detailing Brush: Jane Iredale Detail Brush

Why it's worth it: Ma also counts Jane Iredale's Detail Brush as a staple in her brush collection. The precision tip packs "dense and tiny bristles, making it perfect for spot-concealing," she says, and synthetic brushes generally work well with cream-based eye makeup in particular.

Editor's tip: The beauty of a detail brush is that you can use it for any, well, details, whether to line the lips, define the lash line, or add a touch of glitter to the lids.

Best for Lips: Sonia Kashuk Retractable 2-in-1 Lip Makeup Brush

Why it's worth it: If you desire polished, ultra-clean lines, consider bringing in the assistance of a lip brush to ensure you define your lips to the fullest. Sonia Kashuk's cruelty-free, under-$15 Retractable 2-in-1 Lip Makeup Brush comes with a tapered, precision brush for detailed lip contouring, while the denser, flat-top end finishes the job by shading in your entire lip area with an intense bout of color.

Editor's tip: You can retract the brush tips with a simple twist to keep it clean in your purse or makeup bag.

Meet the experts

• Nick Barose, a makeup artist whose clients include Lupita Nyong’o and Rachel Weisz
• Daphne Chantell del Rosario, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist and licensed esthetician
• Fiona Stiles, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist and founder/owner of Reed Clarke
• Tobi Henney, a bicoastal makeup artist whose clients include Barbara Palvin and Cami Mendes

How we test and review products

Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?

For our review of [the best TK products], we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and [TK experts you interviewed for the piece] to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product's performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Our staff and testers

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

Looking for more tools of the trade? You're in luck—equip yourself with the best of the best:

• Allure Best of Beauty 2024: Tools Winners
• 14 Best Foundation Brushes to Help You Achieve a Flawless Base
• 15 Best Makeup Brushes on Amazon for Flawless Application Every Step of the Way

Now, watch a cosmetic chemist guess cheap vs. expensive highlights:

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